Steering mechanism for motor-vehicles.



No. 809,620. PATENTED JAN. 9, 1906. T. P. MEINHARD.

$TEBRING MECHANISM FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.-

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 7, 1905 I 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 809,620. PATENTED JAN. 9, 1906. T. P. MEINHARD.

STEERING MECHANISM FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 7, 1905.

2 SHEBTS-SHEBET 2.

THEODORE P. MEINHARD, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO ST. LOUIS OAR COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION.

STEERING MECHANISM FOR MOTOR-VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 9, 1906.

Application filed August 7, 1905, Serial No. 273,190-

10 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THEODORE P. MEIN- HARD, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steering Mechanism for Motor- Vehicles; of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to a steering mechanism for actuating the steering-wheels of motorvehicles, the object of the invention being to provide a mechanism of the character named that is simple and efficient in construction and which will act positively to move the steering-wheels with a slight expenditure of force.

Figure I is a top or plan view of a part of the running-gear of a motor-vehicle and my steering mechanism applied thereto. Fig.7 II is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. I. Fig. III is a View, partly in vertical section and partly in elevation, of my steering-gear mechanism. Fig. IV is a view of the mechanism, partly in vertical section and partly in elevation, viewed from a position at an approximate right angle to that illustrated in Fig. III. Fig. V is a cross-section taken on line V V, Fig. III. Fig. VI is a top or plan view of the rocking member by which the connectingrod of thesteering-gear is actuated.

A designates a part of the running-gear frame of a motor-vehicle, and B the front axle of the vehicle, to which the steering-wheel C is swiveled in an ordinary manner.

D is a lever associated with the hub of the steering-wheel and to which the connectingrod E is pivoted at F. The steering-wheel shown is placed in connection with the second steering-wheel at the opposite end of the axle B by a lever-arm G, that is pivoted to a crossrod H, which leads to a second lever-arm associated with the second steering-wheel.

1 designates a main casing member supported by the steering-gear frame A, and having at its upper end a sleeve 2, to which is fitted a bearing-cap 3.

2 is a jam-nut surrounding the sleeve 2.

4: designates a lower casing member secured to the main member 1. This lower member is provided with an elongated opening 5, and it bears at its upper side at opposite sides of said opening ears 6.

7 is a pivot-shaft mounted in the ears 6 and extending transversely across and above the opening 5. This pivot-shaft supports a rocking member that consists of a pair of divergingarms 8, extending laterally from the hub of the rocking member, which is fitted to the pivot-shaft. Each of these arms contains a pocket 9, in which is seated a ball 10, preferably of hardened steel. The rocking member also has a lever-arm 11 extending clownwardly from its hub and provided at its termination with a ball-shaped knob 12. This knob is loosely seated in a socket member 13, secured to the connecting-rod E. Provision is thus made for the longitudinal thrust of the connecting-rod when the lever-arm 11 is rocked to and fro.

14: designates the stafi of the steering mechanism, which has its lower end positioned in the casing member 1 and to which rotation is imparted by suitable means, such as a handwheel 15, secured to the upper end of the staff.

.The staff 14 is fitted in the bearing-cap 3, but

its lower portion, that extends into the casing 7 member 1, is spaced apart from the sleeve 2 of said member, which is concentric with the lower portion of the staff.

16 designates a cam-disk located within the casing member 1 and secured to the lower end of the staff 14, the said cam-disk being provided with a sleeve 17, that surrounds the staff and occupies the space between it and the sleeve 2 of the casing member 1. The cam-disk is so formed as to occupy a plane oblique to the axis of the staff It, and it has at its lower side an annular working face 18, that is oblique to both the axis of said staff and the axis of the disk. This Working face is so located upon the cam-disk as to oppose the bearing-balls 10, seated in the pockets of the rocking-member arms 8, whereby when the cam-disk is oscillated upon the rotation of the staff 14: the working face of said disk will ride upon said bearing-balls and act to depress one of the rocking-member arms 8, while the other arm partakes of a rising movement, thereby throwing the rocking-member lever-arm 11 laterally to move the connecting-rod E longitudinally and impart movement to the steeringwheel, to which said connecting-rod is united.

For the purpose of limiting the degree of rotation of the staff and the cam-disk carried thereby I extend the sleeve 20f the casing member 1 downwardly to the interior of said casing, as seen at 2, Figs. III and IV, and par tially cut away the lower end of said sleeve extension to produce the stop-tongue 2 that receives the engagement of the stop-lug 17 projecting from the sleeve 17 of the cam-disk.

In the practical use of my steering mechanism the staff 14: is rotated to rock the camdisk 16 relative to the rocking-member arms 8, thereby moving the working face 18 of said cam-disk on the bearing-balls 10, seated in said arms. hen this rocking movement of the cam-disk takes place, the shortest portion of the cam-disk travels away from one of the rocking-member arms 8 toward the other rocking-member arm and the longest portion of the cam-disk travels away from one of the rocking-member arms toward the other rocking-member arm, with the result that said rocking member is oscillated on its pivot 7 and the rocking-member lever-arm 11 is vibrated to impart movement to the connectingrod E for the purpose of moving the steering-wheels for the desired steering action.

The bearing-cap 3 is screw-fitted to the sleeve 20f the main casing member 1 and surmounts the jam-nut 2, also screw-fitted to said sleeve. WVithin the bearing-cap and in alinement with the sleeve 17 of the cam-disk 16 is a pair of bearing-rings 3 and 3, having interposed between them bearingballs 3 The object of introducing these bearing-balls and bearing-rings is in part to provide an end bearing for the cam-disk sleeve 17. A further object in providing said members is to furnish means for the downward adjustment of said sleeve in order that the working face of the cam-disk 16 may be lowered toward the arms of the rocking member beneath the disk when said working face becomes worn or the bearing-balls 9, carried by the arms of said rocking member, become worn. In accomplishing such adjustment the jam-nut 2 is first loosened and moved downwardly on the sleeve 2. The bearing-cap 3 is then screwed downwardly on said sleeve to force the sleeve 17 and the cam-disk inadownward direction, this action being secured through the intermediation of the bearing-rings and bearingballs beneath said bearing-cap. Vhen the cam-disk has been adjusted as desired, the jam-nut 2 is again elevated to the bearingcap to hold it from further downward move ment.

For the purpose of providing for the lubrication of the bearings between the working faces of the cam-disk and the rocking member beneath the disk I form said cam-disk with an upwardly-extending rim 16', located at its edge, and provide an oil-duct 16, extending through the cam-disk adjacent to its edge. (See Figs. III and V.) I also provide ,in the main casing member 1 an oiling-orifice 1, that is normally closed by a removable plug 1 When it is desired to supply a lubricant to the cam-disk, the plug 1 is removed and oil is introduced through the oiling-orifice to fall upon the upper side of the cam-disk. Then as the cam-disk is rotated during the use of the device the oil is confined upon the disk by the rim 16, and as the cam-disk is rotated the portion thereof containing the oilduct is brought to a low position, whereby the oil is permitted to flow therethrough to lubricate the bearings at the lower side of the disk.

I claim as my invention 1. In a steering mechanism,the combination of a connecting member leading to a steeringwheel, a rocking member having a leverarm fitted to said connecting member, means for supporting said rocking member, a staff, and a cam fitted to said staff and having its working face disposed in a plane oblique to the axis of said staff and opposed to said rocking member to impart movement thereto, substantially as set forth.

2. In a steering mechanism,the combination of a connecting member leading to a steeringwheel, a rocking member having a lever-arm fitted to said connecting member and having a pair of diverging arms, means for supporting said rocking member, a stafi, and a cam fixed to said staff; said cam having a working face disposed obliquely relative to the axis of said stafi and opposing the diverging arms of said rocking member, substantially as set forth.

3. In asteering mechanism,the combination of a connecting member leading to a steeringwheel, a rocking member having a lever-arm fitted to said connecting member and diverging arms, bearing-balls seated in said diverging arms, a staff, and a cam fitted to said staff said cam having a working face disposed obliquely to the axis of said staff and bearing against said bearing-balls to impart movement to said rocking member by pressure against its diverging arms, substantially as set forth.

4. In a steering mechanism,the combination of a connecting member leading to asteeringwheel, a rocking member having a lever-arm fitted to said connecting member and having diverging arms, a casing in which said rocking member is supported, a staff journaled in said casing, and a cam fixed to said staff and having a Working face oblique to the axis of said staff and opposing the diverging arms of said rocking member, substantially as set forth. q

5. In asteering mechanism,the combination of a connecting member leading to a steeringwheel, a rocking member havinga lever-arm fitted to said connecting member and having diverging arms, a casing in which said rocking member is supported, a staff journaled in said casing, and a cam fixed to said staff and having a Working face oblique to the axis of said staff and opposing the diverging arms of said rocking member; said cam havinga sleeve surrounding said staff and positioned between it and a portion of said casing and being provided with a stop arranged to engage said casing portion, substantially as set forth.

6. In a steering mechanism,the combination with a steering-wheel-connecting member, of

a rocking member united to said connecting.

member, a cam-disk for rocking said rocking member, means for adjusting said cam-disk with respect to said rocking member, substantially as set forth.

7. In a steering mechanism, the combination of a steering-wheel-eonnecting member, an armed rocking member united to said connecting member, a cam-disk opposing the arms of said rocking member and provided with a sleeve, a casing member in which the sleeve of said cam member is fitted, and means for operating against said sleeve for adjusting said cam member relative to the arms of said rocking member, substantially as set forth.

8. In a steering mechanism,the combination of a steering-wheel-connecting member, an armed rocking member united to said connect ing member, a cam-disk opposing the arms of said rocking member and provided with a sleeve, a casing member in which the sleeve of said cam member is fitted, and a bearing-cap fitted to said casing member and arranged to impart movement to said cam-disk through the medium of its sleeve, substantially as set forth.

9. In a steering mechanism, the combination of a steering-wheel-connecting member, an armed rocking member united to said connecting member, a cam-disk opposing the arms of said rocking member and provided with a sleeve, a casing member in which the sleeve of said cam-disk is fitted, a bearing-cap fitted to said casing member and arranged to impart movement to said cam-disk through the medium of its sleeve, and a jam-nut arranged to hold said bearing-cap, substantially as set forth.

10. In a steering mechanism, the combination of a steering-wheel-connecting member, a rocking member for actuating said connecting member, and a cam-disk for operating said rocking member having a rim at its edge and provided with an oil-duct located adjacent to said rim, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 5 my hand this 1st day of August, 1905.

THEODORE P. MEINHARD.

In presence of-- NELLIE V. ALEXANDER, E. S. KNIGHT. 

